Chapter Text
Raiders Hide-Out.
Trash Storm Night.
The weather was all over the place. It wasn’t uncommon in a place like the ground, but annoying nevertheless. The “sky”, if you could call it that, was painted a sorrowful grey as though it could pour something other than trash. But it was pretty clear it could not. The only rain the Pit would ever see, was trash. And that was it.
But damn wouldn’t it be cool if anything other rained? Water? Maybe blood? Acid rains? Anything other than physical chaos that killed and took and killed again.
Jabber Wonger’s hot pink eyes opened at the creak of the apartment door, greasy ass door. His fingers wouldn’t stop tapping on the counter as he adjusted some toxins into Mankira. He wanted her cute and ready for more. “Haa… Wonder if Mr. Bad Attitude’s achin’ fer the next round.” He thought to himself as he imagined what the next round could look like.
The next round, hah. Maybe Zanka would try a new trick with Lovely, maybe he’d break Jabber’s rib once again, and this time smirk. Slam ‘er rough against his side and kick ‘im in the face when Jabber yelps in pain. Oh, that sounded so fucking good. So good.
”Ahem.” Cthoni was the one to come in, she had slipped off her usual combat gear, wore just a white shirt and some boxers, “Hearing me?”
“Yea, yea. What?” He didn’t bother turning to her, fingers too busy asjusting Mankira’s seventh ring, he had ‘em counted by different features. That’s how he kept track on which one to adjust, which one to fix, etc. “Standin’ there silent won’t make ts quicker.” He insisted after her silence delayed the conversation.
She finally sighed and just sat down in the table, “Updates from him.” She started.
Cthoni’s eyes trailed across the unwell kept apartment Jabber had just recently stolen from an alcoholic, judging by the trashed bottles. It was full of dirt and it certainly smelled like toxins and crack, maybe. The cabinets were high and colored a nasty green, while the rest of the room were either grey with purple decorations, or brown-ish.
”Distasteful environment,” she thought to herself, not wanting to spend one more second in a place like Jabber Wonger’s. “Chtoni. Ya gonna yap er not?”
Her eyes rose from the walls to his turned back. Who was he to talk to her like that? ”Boss has been tracking the Cleaners.” She began, coughing twice to concentrate herself in the task at hand. Inform Jabber and get him to work. “They were visited by the Hell Guard.”
”Pause.” Jabber finally stopped, carefully putting Mankira’s rings down and sitting right beside ‘em, flopping over the counter, “Hell Guard? What for?”
”If you’d let me talk.” She glared, holding in a sigh as he finally shut up. If she was honest, seeing Jabber Wonger without his usual smirk felt unsettling. But she had a job to do. “The redhead. ‘member her?” “Yah.” “Took someone. The staff boy, Zanka, was it?”
Huh? Jabber actually paused. He wasn’t worried, not really. But he was kind of intrigued. Zanka didn’t seem like the type to get in trouble or something as such, so why would he even be taken from the HQ department? By the Hell Guard nonetheless?
Cthoni could imagine what was going through Jabber’s head. You didn’t have to be a genius, or something like one to figure out. He had questions about Zanka’s relatedness to the Hell Guard, based off his legs crossed painfully high, and his teeth grazing at his nails and awkwardly biting onto the skin. Better said, holding into the skin he’d pick with ‘em. It’s not like she had much luck figuring out though, Jabber couldn’t care less about the boy’s safety.
But it was quite funny, cringey maybe. Was Jabber mad Zanka could be hurt by someone but him? Or was he just amused by the Hell Guard’s interest? Was he judging the Cleaners for letting go of Zanka?
Those were strange questions, but she’s worked beside Jabber for a while now, and she understands how he thinks like.
But Momoa would probably have a clearer idea.
”Whatcha want me to do w’that info, hm?” Her eyes snapped to his face the second he said that. “Are you not worried?”
”Fuck no?” He barked out a laugh, “Mr. Bad Attitude’s strong. ‘S just… them cleaners and there morals ain’t letting him get stronger. Morals, talks, wrongs, propers… Zanka’s done fer if he stays wit’em.”
Yeah, she didn’t want to spend one more second in this place. She hurried her best to get the info dumped and get Jabber to do something other than smirk and burst into laughter. Oh he was definitely high. Fucking psycho.
Jabber stood by the door as she finished with the boss’s orders, apparently he had to go pay a visit to the cleaners. Sumthing about figuring out what Hell Guard wanted from ‘em. Or some information about their boss. Arkha Corvus.
”Sounds fancy.” He giggled like crazy.
”Hm. Maybe you can get sum info on the boy you like. I can help you get close to the HQ departments. You might be able to get in. Think you can?”
”Ya bet I can.”
***
It was kind of funny how he could easily break in without being noticed, let alone heard. Jabber Wonger was loud, he was psychotic. He wanted thrill, to get caught. But he’d been extremely careful with the break in through one of the windows. The room he broke in through seemed to be a closet judging by some extra supplies, it was hard to, tho. The window was covered by wood from the inside. But he lived for the thrill of getting caught, that’s why he chose that one specifically.
Sum of the walls were full of dirt and cracks, the concrete injured but maybe from training or temblors. He could hear some muffled voices but they sounded young, so he didn’t really feel any sort of interest towards them. Now, which room could be Zanka’s?
He had to be careful, real careful. Or else they’d notice him. He wanted to be noticed, he really did. But he was tired and unwilling tonight.
He just lowkey wanted to stay home with Mankira. She wasn’t even finished by the time he was forced to come out.
”News on the kid?” he heard a rough, familiar voice. It was the blond dude Zanka respected, he was talking while leaning on a door next to sum other— Oh! The guy Jabs almost killed, Gris, was it? “Fuck… Zanka’s been gone for three days and we got no news on ‘im. I get their his family but…”
”Enjin, listen, Zanka’s a good kid. He’ll be okay, he’s strong.” Not strong enough because of ya, thought Jabber as one of his locs slipped toward his face, the loc covered one of his hot pink eyes.
”Nah, I get that part. Zanka’s wonderful, really. But he’s emotional. He wants to prove himself and shit… going as far as to crave fights until he passes out. He—… Zanka’s too good, Gris… He’ll get hurt.” The blond, Enjin, seemed to be doubtful of his own words. Maybe doubtful at first, but confident enough to know Zanka’s self destructive.
Gris began walking away as Enjin struggled to follow him, he was hesitating to leave from the room it seemed.
Jabber looked around for anyone else before hurrying down the hall toward the room they were leaning against.
He struggled to open it but managed to unlock it, looking inside for anybody. The room wasn’t that decorated, but it was decent. And he saw the one thing he didn’t wish to: Lovely Assistaff. What was she doing there? Had Zanka not taken it? Was he a fool?
Zanka wasn’t the brightest in terms of opponents, (how do you end with someone like Mr. Dread Head as an opponent?), but he was smart enough to know he had to take Lovely to every of his battles, she was his girl. Like Mankira was to Jabber.
”Mr. Bad Attitude forgettin’ Lovely? Hmm, oh, nah. Couldn’t take ‘er, I bet.” He giggled dumbly as his fingers ached to hold her. Pinch himself with her spikes, but she wasn’t in her final form yet. She was just a wooden staff at the moment.
He was looking around for anything else, really. Something Zanka could have that would satisfy bossman, or explain why he was taken by the big suckers. And oh he found it good. A small portrait by the desk his mask was on. He was standing there, miserable child. It would be a lie to say a child wouldn’t look so unhappy with the Big Woman. Yeah, he remembered her. She tried to arrest him once. To take Mankira from him. But she failed. She and her stupid red head and cold eyes.
They were definitely siblings. Her haircut in the picture looked horribly accurate to Zanka’s now. Though Zanka would be horrified at the comparison. Yeah, he would be. And he’d smash Lovely right against Jabber’s rib, and his spine, and—… Behave, Jabber. Yer done here.
”Cthoni,” He held onto his collar, “Take me to Hell Guard.” ”I can only get you close to the top, that enough?”
”Yah.” He smirked, aching for the moment already. His hand hurried to lift Lovely but almost dropped her, God Damn she was heavy. He bit his lip and hurried to the portal Cthoni’s shield had opened in the floor, but goddamn he’d been loud.
The door slammed open as he held Lovely in his hand, the red head girl.
”You.” She mouthed, looking for her vital instrument, or maybe the gun she’d somehow carry, “Get your hands off—?!”
He smiled and jumped in, taking Lovely with him, Riyo girl had hurried her best to grab onto Lovely, but she slipped off her fingers, “god fuckin’ dammit!” She yelled, and hurried her way to knock on door, “Enjin! Gris! The goddamn Raiders took Lovely!”
Jabber stood still before the huge building, they were hidden around its forest but even Cthoni looked overwhelmed at the amount of guards surrounding the whole place. The Hell Guard building was huge. Not even the Cleaners’ Headquarters was this big. Not even the last Raiders’ base had been this huge. And so… distasteful. It was the place of the good for nothings’, people with ego’s higher than Zodyl himself.
“So. How are you doing this?”
”Me? Ya ain’t coming?”
She almost scoffed at the question. Go to her death? Fuck no. If Jabber wanted to commit suicide and become the Hell Guard’s little experiment, he’d be alone on that.
“Rude.” He rolled his eyes, looking around, “Uhh, I’ll wait till it gets darker or sumthing.” He sighed, sitting down on the ground and crossing his legs as he held Lovely, he felt almost nervous to be holding her. Thrilled at what Zanka would say, “Ya put yer filthy hands on my Lovely Assistaff?!” He’d probably scream that and slam her, so harsh against his spine, so hard it’ll crack.
But he looked at her once again. “Cthoni, can ya put her in my place?” He asked.
And the only reason she trembled was because Jabber Wonger didn’t ask. He took. He ordered. He killed. He didn’t ask. “I can. Good luck.” She opened a gate using her shell on a tree, holding Lovely and quickly leaving as one of the guards approached because of the noise.
The hot pink eyed hurried away, using ‘kira to climb onto the closest trees. Lying still in that branch, all he could do was stare at the entrance and wonder. Not “How do I get in?” But “What am I doing here?” Because really, what was he doing there? Zanka Nijiku could live without him, he was just a toy. Jabber was just looking for entertainment, a toy. And Zanka was the closest to one. A few months ago he’d be beating ass and groaning in disappointment when an opponent died too quick for him to enjoy. He wouldn’t be near Hell looking for his opponent, because he really was not looking for the info.
He just wanted to know what was going on with Zanka Nijiku, and why was he a cleaner even when he was most likely trained under Hell Guard. Under the big woman’s wing. And why was he not stronger than a normal cleaner then?
”Hey, you.” He almost jumped out of his skin, eyes snapping toward the nearest human being. The big woman. She stood threatening and cold, looking at the nearest guard, “Close the gate. No one goes in. No one gets out.” She said and with that walked away.
And thank fuck Jabber managed to slip into the building through the last opened window. Because he had no way out unless Cthoni wanted him out.